Racist comment to

On phone

Today whilst trying to sort out a payment to a loan company I asked to speak English as this is much easier for me to understand, the person on the other end who was only speaking Swedish told me that as I live in Sweden I should speak Swedish, I replied that although I can speak some Swedish I was not confatable to speak Swedish.

I was shocked when he refused to speak English and also refused to let me speak to someone else who could speak English as he said " you live in Sweden you must speak Swedish"

Is there some where I can register a complaint about this?, or should I just drop it?

Well someone being so patriotic and asking to speak the national language of the country cannot be termed as as a racist comment in my opinion... It's just being rude. I've been living in Sweden almost for 5 years now and I don't speak Swedish at all. I do understand a very little. Although I blame it on the company I work for (It's an International company having English as the business language), I know that I have not made any commitment myself to learn the language too. To be honest I don't feel the need of it.Having said that I have bought and sold properties here, bought vehicles, being in hospital for surgery and my wife (who is not Swedish and like me don't speak the language) have given birth here. I survived them all without Swedish.The only rude comment I got was from a tele salesman who phoned me to sell something, when I apologized and told him to speak to me in English he said 'OK then I will call you next year, by then you should be able to speak to me in Swedish'. Well I just replied 'Thanks a lot for thinking that I am a very smart person but I've been here for three years and I don't speak Swedish' Anyway give me a call next year and check'. He dropped the call and I'm still waiting (after a year) for his call. So my point is there is always going to be some rude people out there.. Let them get frustrated but don't get frustrated yourself...

I would kind of understand if that woman in video was singing in Mandarin or other East Asian language because Australia has a ongoing problem with illegal immigrants from Vietnam, Philippines, China etc. but French... that's a bit odd. I'm not saying that I support what he said or what he said he would do. I condemn that through and through.

Mind you, I was at a job fair a few days ago in Malmö, I was standing in line to talk to a recruiter when his colleague, a noticeably not Swedish woman, was talking to another unemployed person who politely asked her to talk in English if that's possible and the recruiter said in a very hostile manner and harsh tone: You're in Sweden, you're must know Swedish.After that I had a feeling I have to explain everyone that I just moved here and I'm just starting to learn Swedish.

Well someone being so patriotic and asking to speak the national language of the country cannot be termed as as a racist comment in my opinion... It's just being rude.

I don't think it has anything to do with patriotism or racism, in fact that's neither of these... it's called xenophobia and it's equally destructive.It's generally a lack of tolerance towards other nations and it hardly can be patriotism, it borders with fascism. Not even nationalism. Even to say this, for me feels a bit harsh because I understand that people here are annoyed with us who don't speak the language- they opened up the doors for us, be at least that much thankful to learn the language (because it's free)... I know I would be annoyed too after a while... I just feel it's a general annoyance not patriotism, racism, nationalism or fascism... but it does make you feel bad when it's directed at you.

Well I don't say rude to any Swede refusing to speak to me in Swedish. It will totally depend on the way how they pass the message across. I replied to the original post by @voyager in which the person he/she has spoken to had said that you 'MUST' speak Swedish. That is being rude. It's a choice... He/She just could have said I´am Swedish and I speak only in Swedish. Then it's up to @voyager to find another means of finding the information or getting the job done.

As I mentioned in my post I have been living here for a relatively short time but have achieved a lot than people moved here long time back and learned the language perfectly. I am not proud of not learning the language but since I can survive without it I don't want to learn it and will NOT too. I am never rude when mentioning this to anyone I am always apologetic when I mention the fact that I don't speak the language. (read my comment above, even to the tele sales person) Having said that ( again as I mentioned above ) I don't get frustrated when someone rejects me for not speaking the language since I respect his/her stance but there is one thing that I really enjoy and that is seeing some dumb nuts go mad seeing me not speaking the language. ( You just helped me in this cause dear @Pursuivant ).

PS.

Speaking to someone in English is not bending the back. It's a universal language and more often than not there is a chance a foreigner will speak to you in it. May be if I expect Swedes to speak to me in my native language (which is spoken just as much as Swedish is spoken globally ) then perhaps I am being rude and qualify for bending the back theory.

Refusing to speak the native language - Is that not rude, you imperialist prigs!

You mean like all the Swedes in the south of France who can't speak French? or the Swedes who moved to Thailand but can't be bothered to learn Thai? Or the ones in Spain who can't speak Spanish?.Imperialists, every one.